SPL 2Control - Speaker & Headphone Monitoring Controller

The 2Control with its unique Crossfeed control allows to judge a stereo panorama on headphones just like with loudspeakers. The unit's concept is consequently based upon duality: Two channels, two sources, two loudspeaker sets, two headphones—2Control.

The 2Control combines loudspeaker and headphone monitoring in a compact, user-friendly and high quality control device. Any studio based on a digital audio workstation (DAW) can benefit from its important and essential monitoring functions.

The advantages of an analog monitoring controller becomes especially apparent in combination with modern audio and video production tools such as ProTools™, Nuendo™, Cubase™, Logic™, Deck™, etc. Monitor levels and source management can be handled independently of the software and with virtually no loss in quality. You no longer need to set up additional aux sends for monitoring. In addition, you won’t have to worry about over- or underdriving the converters when changing monitor levels.

The concept of the 2Control is based on a dual-channel operation that allows for connection of two sources, two stereo speaker sets and two headphones. Each of the three speaker outputs (2 stereo sets, 1 x mono speaker) is driven by its own balancing stage to exclude signal degrading mutual influences. Each headphone output is supplied by a separate amplifier to allow for completely independent operation of two headphones without any interaction from the other output.

The high-quality 2Control speaker volume potentiometer and active circuits correspond with the high demands in professional audio applications regarding sound quality and usability. In contrast to passive circuits, the 2Control’s active designs do not influence impedances when levels change. Altering impedances would again have effects on the frequency response, so the 2Control’s active design guarantees linearity.
Additionally there is often the need to “zoom” into audio material when listening to quiet passages or checking for artifacts etc. – and only active designs offer signal amplification.

There is more than meets the eye in working with headphones. One reason for this is that modern audio production often necessitates decentralized processes. In turn, many musicians or producers might wish to – or be able to – mix at home (to say nothing of having to). Then the headphone becomes a clear must, enabling an evening or late night session that can only take place thanks to its being unhindered by the local acoustic environment.
Now each and every careful headphone user should know about the analytical advantages of headphone monitoring, but also about the main disadvantage: the difficulty (if note impossibility) in properly judging room ambience.

A new feature of the 2Control is the Crossfeed control for both headphone outputs, which was derived from the high-end headphone amplifier Phonitor. From their principle, headphones have the disadvantage of producing a 180 degree stereo panorama – the Crossfeed control can be used to adjust a stereo panorama that corresponds to a stereo speaker image. Based upon the imaging of a speaker set positioned on angle of 30 degrees towards the listener, the crosstalk of both channels can be regulated to meet individual demands. Whenever speaker monitoring may not be possible or if an monitoring alternative to speakers is required, the 2Control allows for judging mixes also on headphones.

Inputs IN 1 and IN 2 are gauged to analog line level signals at +4 dBu. The second input IN 2 can alternatively be set to another input sensitivity of -10dBV nominal level. A nominal level of +4 dBu represents the international standard of professional studio equipment, -10dBV corresponds to the standard in consumer electronics, hence the ideal setting for connecting comsumer CD/DVD-Players.

Source and speaker output switches as well as mono and dim switches provide the main monitoring functions for a complete controller – without overloading user interface and electronics.